How Do You Respond?   

Former Boston Red Sox’s first baseman Wade Boggs used to hate to go to Yankee Stadium. Not because of the Yankees – they never gave him that much trouble – but because of a fan. The guy had a box seat close to the field, and when the Red Sox were in town, he would torment Boggs by shouting obscenities and insults. One day before the game, as Boggs was warming up, the fan began his typical routine, yelling, “Boggs, you stink!” and variations on that theme. Boggs decided he had had enough. He walked directly over to the man who was sitting in the stands with his friends, and said, “Hey, fella, are you the guy who is always yelling at me?” The man said, “Yeah, it’s me. What are you gonna do about it?” Wade took a new baseball out of his pocket, autographed it, tossed it to the man, and went back to the field to continue his pre-game routine. The man never yelled at Boggs again; in fact, he became one of Wade’s biggest fans at Yankee Stadium.

Probably all of us have had to deal at one time or another with folks who have treated us in an unkind way. Maybe your boss or a coworker frequently criticizes the way you do things. Maybe a family member puts you down for not living up to his/her expectations. Maybe a friend sometimes acts toward you in a less than friendly way.

So how do respond? I think most of us might be inclined to answer that kind of ill treatment with a similar unkind response. But is that the best way to handle it? The Bible says in Proverbs 15:1, “A soft (gentle) answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Yes, our hurt feelings may tempt us to lash out in return, but doing so will only make things worse. Your work or family environment would be negatively affected by your negative response, and your friend may cease to be your friend.

May I suggest we do as Jesus would do? “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Peter 2:21-23).

Ebert Hubbard, an American writer early in the 20th century, once wrote, “The final proof of greatness lies in being able to endure contentious treatment without resentment.”

We can be better than others. We can treat others better than they treat us. Even when others do the wrong thing, we can strive to do the right thing. When others put down, we can build up. When others criticize, we can encourage. When other speak ill, we can speak well. When others follow the way of the world, we can follow the way of Jesus.